Chapter 04 The Wife and the Bastard (Part II)

They passed by empty cells, hurrying along as if they were being chased.

A sickening stench coated the walls and stuck to her skin the further they went. And all Sylvia could do was breathe it in as she watched his back from behind, the warmth emanating from her hand proof that she had implicitly trusted him with two lives.

“I love you,” he had confessed that night as he took her body gently like a lover and roughly like a beast.

As they ran, Sylvia wondered what her life would’ve been like if she, too, was loved. With all the revelations she’d received tonight, it seemed like she had never had one for herself for all the years she’d lived.

She loved and loved true and lost herself in the process. And now, the person she gave it all to wanted her death.

Sylvia couldn’t tell if the ache in her chest came from her running or from something else. She felt pity for the man in front of her.

Lord Marcus was risking everything to save her, yet she likely had no more love to spare. She didn’t know what made him harbor such feelings for her, but she knew she didn’t deserve his sincerity.

A man who paved his own path in the world deserved a lady who would cherish him.

So pitiful, the two of them.

Soon they made a turn, and Sylvia understood then that they were running towards the sewers.

The dark waters rushed on like a river, and there were multiple openings linked to the narrow path they threaded. From time to time, large rats would meet them.

“Please bear with it for now, Your Grace,” Lord Marcus said as his grip on her hand tightened even more.

“At least let me heal you,” Sylvia said without thinking.

Lord Marcus stopped for a moment as if considering her offer.

“It’s the least I can do.”

“Thank you, Your Grace,” he said in a voice that seemed heavier than usual. “I am undeserving of your concern for me. But … we don’t have the time.”

“It’ll only take a moment.”

Sylvia insisted, though unsure if she could still use the gift she’d hidden from the world. It was Lord Marcus who warned never to tell anyone for her safety, and because it was him, she never questioned it.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her eyes downcast.

She got angry at him for telling her to hide it, but now Sylvia understood that it was his own way of protecting her from his brother. Duke Alec would’ve indeed found some use for her had he known about her power.

“Your Grace, you are truly kind. Please don’t worry about me. This is nothing compared to the battlefield,” he assured.

Sylvia could only smile bitterly at his misunderstanding.

“My knights are waiting for us at the exit. They’ll take you to a safe house in the mountains. I trust these men with my life, Your Grace. If you can’t trust them, trust that I won’t put you in harm’s way.”

“Are you not coming with us, my lord?” Sylvia questioned.

She was trying her hardest to catch her breath, and the revolting scent was making it more difficult.

Lord Marcus looked back at her for a second. As he looked away, Sylvia could swear she saw his lips lift a little. He eventually slowed down, allowing her to gather her breath.

Then he spoke in a grave voice.

“Please listen closely to what I’m about to say, Your Grace. You will travel with them to the port of Herriban. Look for Bellian at the Mermaid Inn. Tell him I sent you. He will understand what to do. There is no ship safer on the seas than his.”

“Wait,” she said, all the more confused. “Are you telling me to go overseas? Why?”

He didn’t respond.

“Lord Marcus—”

“Please trust me, Your Grace,” he replied. “Keep yourself well. Remember to have your meals on time and always stay warm. When it’s safe for you to return, I will come for you myself.”

He suddenly stopped and turned around to face her.

His blue eyes held many untold emotions as he looked at her. It made Sylvia choke on the words she wanted to speak.

“I promise … Lady Sylvia,” he said, then brought their hands together to his lips. “This time, it’s my turn to protect you.”

Sylvia had no words. It was all too much. She wanted to live, but feared the words he kept to himself. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to ask because of the resolve in his eyes.

Something brushed past her cheeks and hair. Looking down, she saw a pocket watch held in his hand.

The third hand ticked away.

“This will serve as your proof of identity. Bellian is a cautious man. Please keep it safe for me, Your Grace.”

Sylvia bit the inside of her lower lip.

At the very least, he deserved to know. If it would keep him from plunging headfirst into the jaws of death, she had to give him a proper reason to return.

“Marcus, I’m—”

“Over there!” a man’s voice suddenly rang out.

From a distance, torches held by clothed figures lit the dark.

“Run!” Lord Marcus ordered as he turned on his heels and forcibly dragged her ever forward.

“Kill them!”

But the men chasing after them weren’t hindered like him. They were closing in fast, and the end of the long tunnel was nowhere in sight. As they ran, Sylvia became paranoid about the many unlit passages on their side.

In the blink of an eye, she was thrown forward harshly. He pressed the torch into her palm, forcing her to wrap her hand around it.

“Run, my lady. I’ll hold them off,” he said as he showed his back to her.

Lord Marcus drew his sword, preparing to intercept their pursuers.

“Marcus—”

“Ru-u-u-n!” he shouted, making her flinch.

Sylvia bit her lip, hesitated, then turned on her heels and ran as fast as her tired legs could take her. Her lungs burned, and tears threatened to brim her eyes.

She heard the clash of metal behind her, and each heavy thud that followed. Each time, she hoped that it wouldn’t be Lord Marcus.

“… I’ll protect you.”

In her mind, Sylvia called him an idiot. He was a fool for going this far for a woman like her.

“Do us all a favor and kill yourself.”

But Sylvia wanted to live.

“… they’re all dead!”

She had to live to atone for all her sins.

So, she ran. As fast as her legs could carry her.

When her shoes began to scrape the back of her heels, she kicked them off without hesitation. Her feet felt wet and sticky with each step, but Sylvia, determined to survive, kept running.

The pounding of her heart and the squeezing of her lungs felt like freedom. Even the stench of the sewers was nothing more than a path leading her to the outside world.

Sylvia never looked back. She had to trust that Lord Marcus’s skills wouldn’t fail him now.

He had to return so that she could tell him the news. So that she could properly apologize for not realizing his sacrifices, though she couldn’t accept his heart.

Sylvia ran until all she could hear was her own breathing and her beating heart.

Until her hair stuck to her sweaty skin.

Until the dress felt lighter than it’d ever been.

Soon, she saw a light in the distance. They must be the knights that Lord Marcus mentioned.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She would survive this. There was so much more to look forward to.

Sylvia was too preoccupied with the freedom within her reach that she didn’t notice until it was too late.

A large shadow suddenly jumped in front of her from one of the passages, making her stop abruptly. Through the thick stench of waste, Sylvia caught the scent of roses.

-gn_cc-